[House  Bill,  No.  28.] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES.— May  4,  1864— Read  first 
and  second  times,  referred  to  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  and  or- 
dered to  be  printed.  May  9,  1864 — Reported  back,  committee  dis- 
charged, and  referred  to  Committee  on  Commerce.  May  12,  1864 — 
Reported  back  with  amendments,  ordered  to  be  placed  on  Calendar 
and  printed. 

[By  Mr.  Perkins.] 


A   BILL 

To  be  entitled  an  act  to  establish  a  Bureau  of  Foreign  Supplies  in  the 
War  Department,  with  an  agency  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department. 

Section  1.    The   Congress  of  the  Confederate   States  of  Ame- 

2  rica  do  enact,  That  for  the  purpose  of  exporting  cotton  and  other 

3  produce  to  supply,  by  huports,  the  military  and  other  necessities 

4  of  the  goveiTiment  during  the  continuance  of  the  war  with  the 

5  United  States,  an  independent  bureau  of  the  War  Department  be 

6  established,  to  be  entitled  the  "Bureau  of  Foreign  Supplies." 

Sec.  2.   That  the  said  bureau  shall  be  charged  with  the  pur- 

2  chase  of  cotton  apd  other  produce  for  export,  and  with  the  sale 

3  of  the  same,  and  with  all  the  duties  and  expenditures  connected 

4  with  the  purchase  and  import  of  munitions  of  war,  and  such 

5  other  supplies  as  may  be  required  by  the  several  departments  of 

6  the  government. 

Sec.  3.   That  all  steamers  now  owned  by  any  of  the  depart- 
2  racnts  of  the  government,  and  used  to  supply  their  necessities 


2 

3  from  abroad,  may  be  continued  in  that  use,  but  shall  be  turned 

4  over  to  the  Navy  Department,  to  be  officered,  manned,  equipped 

5  and  sailed,  under  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Sec.  4.   That  the  chief  of  this  bureau  shall,  under  the  Secre- 
2.  tary  of  War,  have  full  power  to  purchase  and  contract  for  such 

3  vessels  and  steamers,  to  be  owned  wholly  or  in  part  by  the  go- 

4  vernment,  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  discharge  of  the  duties 

5  imposed  upon  the  bureau,  and  to  obtain  the  general  objects  of  its 

6  establishment,  as  set  forth  in  the  first  section  of  this  act:  Pro- 
.  7  vided.  That  in  the  purchase  of  such  vessels  the  chief  of  said  bureau 

8  shall  be  guided  by  an  officer  of  the  navy,  to  be  designated  by  the 

9  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  that  all  vessels  in  which  the  govern- 

10  ment  has  a  controlling  interest  may  be  delivered  to  the  Secretary 

11  of  the  Navy,  to  be  officered,  manned,  equipped  and  sailed,  under 
1  -2  his  direction. 

Sec.  5.   That  all  permits  or  licenses  for  the  exportation  of 

2  cotton  or  other  domestic  produce  on  private  account,  that  may  be 

3  authorized  by  the  act  of  Congress  entitled  "  an  act  to  impose 

4  regulations  upon  the  foreign  cammerce  of  thp  Confederate  States^ 

5  and  to  provide  for  the  public  defence,"  shall  be  issued  from  this- 

6  bureau,  under  such  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  in  the  said 

7  act,  or  under  any  authority  granted  therein  to  the  President,  the 

8  Secretary  of  War  or  other  department,  and  under  such  conditions 

9  as  may  be  effectual  to  secure  the  fulfillment  of  the  objects  of  the 

10  present  act:  Provided,  Th&t  nothing  in  the  present  act  shall  be 


s 

'1 1  construed  to  affect  the  export  of  any  cotton  or  other  produce 

12  under  the  control  of  the  Treasury  or  other  department,  to  secure 

1 3  any  of  the  bonds  or  obligations  of  the  Confederate  States. 

Sec.  6.  That  the  said  bureau  shall  cause  to  be  paid  into  the 
2  Treasury  all  moneys  that  may  accrue  from  the  sales  of  cottan  ar 
S  other  produce  that  may  be  disposed  of  under  its  authority,  and 

4  that  the  proceeds  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  several  depart- 

5  ments,  under  instructions  of  the  President,  and  be  drawn  for  ap 

6  in  other  cases  of  appropriations. 

Sec.  7.   That  the  said  bureau  shall  consist  of  one  colonel  and 

2  one  lieutenant  colonel,  with  the  pay  and  allowances  of  officers  of 

3  artillery  of  the  same  grades,  and  such  inferior  officers  as  may  be 

4  assigned  to  that  duty,  with  such  agents  and  clerks  as  may  be 
o  deemed  necessary  by  the  President,  whose  compensation  shall  be 
6  fixed  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Sec,  8.    That  the  chief  of  said  bureau  may  appoint  suitable 

2  purchasing  agents  of  known  integrity  and  business  capacity,  who 

3  shall  be  charged  with  the  purchase  of  cotton  and  other  produce, 

4  and  the  transportation  of  the  same  to  points  for  shipment,  under 

5  regulations  to  be  prescribed  by  the  chief  of  said  bureau,  under 

6  the  approval  of  the  President  and  Secretary  of  War.     Each  of 

7  said  agents  shall,  before  entering  upon  his  duties,  give  bond,  with 

8  good  and  sufficient  security,  to  'be  approved  by  chief  of  said 

9  bureau,  conditioned  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duty,  and 
10  shall  also  take  and  subscribe  an  oath   before  some  officer  autho- 


4 

11  rized  by  law  to  administer  tlie  same,  that  he  will  not  directly  or 

12  indirectly  be  engaged  in  the  purchase  or  sale,  on  private  account, 

13  for  himself  or  any  other  person,  of  any  cotton  or  other  produce 

14  appertaining  to  his  said  agency,  while  so  employed  as  agent  of 

15  the  government. 

Sec.  9.    That  any  oflScer  or  agent,  connected  with  said  bu- 

2  reau,  who  shall  be  guilty  of  buying  or  selling,  directly  or  indi- 

3  rectly,  on  private  account,  for  himself  or  any  other  person,  any 

4  cotton  or  other  produce,  of  which  said  bureau  is  charged  with 

5  the  purchase,  shall,  upon  conviction  before  any  court  of  the  Con- 

6  federate  States  having  jurisdiction,  be  fined  by  the  court  in  a 

7  sum  not  exceeding  •  dollars,  and  be  imprisoned  foi-  a 

8  term  not  less  than  nor  more  than  years. 

Sec.  10.    That  there  shall  be  established  an  agency  of  said 

2  bureau,  and  auxiiiar}'^  thereto,  for  the  states  west  of  the  Missis- 

3  sippi  river,  the  officers  of  which  shall  consist  of  one  lieutenant 

4  colonel  of  artillery,  and  such  inferior  officers  as  may  be  assigned 

5  to  that  duty,  v^^ith  such  agents  as  may  be  deemed  necessary  by 

6  the  President,  whose  compensation  shall  be  fixed  by  the  Secre- 

7  tary  of  War.     Said  agency  shall  establish  its  office  at  such  place 

8  in  the  states  west  of  the  Mississippi,  as  may  be  selected  by  the 

9  chief  officer  thereof;  and  shall  be  charged  with  the  purchase  and 

10  exportation  of  cotton  and  other  produce,  and  the  importation  of 

11  munitions  of  war  and  other  supplies  for  the  army  of  the  Trans- 

12  Mississippi  Department,  and  such  other  supplies  as  may  be  needed 


5 

13  by  the  government,  or  any  of  its  departments  in  said  military 

14  department. 

Sec.  11.   Such  agency  and  the  chief  officer  thereof  shall  pos- 

2  sess  like  power  and  duties  for  the  states  west  of  the  Mississippi 

3  river,  as  are  conferred  by  this  act  upon  said  bureau  and  the  chief 

4  officer  thereof,  but  subordinate  and  subject  to  said  bureau. 

Sec.  12.    That  the  purchasing  agents  west  of  the  Mississippi 

2  river  shall  take  the  oath  and  give  bond  as  provided  in  the  eighth 

3  section  of  this  act ;  and  the  officers  and  agents  shall  be  subject 

4  to  the  penalties  prescribed  by  the  ninth  sectio)),  if  found  guilty 
§  of  the  offence  specified  therein. 

Sec.  13.    1'hat  the  said  agency  shall  have  power  to  establish 

2  such  interior  depots  for  the  receipt  of  cotton  and  other  produce 

3  intended   for   exportation   into  or  through   Mexico,   as  may   be 

4  deemed  necessary  and  proper,  and  may  also  prescribe  rules  and 

5  regulations  for  granting  permits  to  individuals  to  transport  cotton 
C  or  other  produce  to  said  depots,  as  well  as  seaports,  and  may  im- 

7  pose,  such  terms  and  conditions,  beneficial  to  the  government,  as 

8  a  consideration  for  such  permits,  as  may  be  deemed  just  and 

9  proper. 

Sec.  14.    That  the  business  of  the  Cotton  Bureau  established 

2  under  a  special  order  of  Lieutenant  General  E.  Kirby  Smith, 

3  commanding  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department,  be  and  the  same 

4  is  hereby  transferred  to  the  said  agency  of  said  bureau  west  of 
f)  the  Mississippi  river,  and  the  operations  and  transactions  of  said 


6 

G  bureau,  established  as  aforesaid,  not  inconsistent  with  the  provi- 
7  sions  of  this  acr,  are  hereby  ratified  and  confirmed. 


AMENDMENTS 

Of  the  Committee  on  Commerce  to  hill  to  he  entitled  an  act  to  establish  a 
Bureau  of  Foreign  Supjplies  in  the  War  Department,  with  an  agency 
in  the  Trans- Mississippi  Department. 

Add  the  following  at  the  end  of  section  5:    ''Ati^  provided 

2  further,  That  nothing  in  this  act  shall  be  construed  to  prohibit 

3  any  of  the  Confederate  States  from  exporting  cotton  or  other  pro- 

4  duce  on  their  own  account." 

Fill  the  blanks  in  section  9  as  follows:  First  blank,  "ten  thou- 

2  sand   dollars;"    second  blank,   "twelve  months;"    third  blank, 

3  "five  years."  ' 

In  section  10,  line  10,  after  the  words  "chief  officer  thereof," 

2  insert  "  under  the  direction  of  the  General  commanding  the  Trans- 

3  Mississippi  Department." 

In   section    13,  line  5,  after  "necessary  and  proper,"  insert 

2  "under  the  direction  of  the  General  commanding  the  Trans- 

3  Mississippi  Department." 


